We hope that President Obama will listen in person to the stories of atomic bomb survivors and face the reality of the bomb, which was dropped for the first time in history by the United States on Hir

Time to stop playing the victim card, Hiro and Naga. War is hell, especially when you are on the losing side.

As for the argument to the necessity of the bombs that Taro brought up, that is most easily answered by the final Imperial War Cabinet meeting held by Japan's government AFTER Nagasaki. The vote on whether or not to surrender was a tie vote, 3 to 3. It took the (totally unprecedented) intervention of the Emperor himself to decide the issue. THAT should tell you the mood in Japan, and whether the country was on the verge of surrender.

And President Obama would agree to this becaauuuse...??

Okinawamike - like most other people in Japan, they didn't raise 1 voice of opposition when their country was taken over by the militarists. So yes, they are as guilty as anyone.

Point taken.

While understanding the power of nuclear weapons is important and the bomb museums in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are big tourist businesses - why else would anyone go to Hiroshima, for example - it would be nice if the mayors could tout other - positive - aspects of their fine cities. (But please, not the food or unique four seasons.)

the two mayors should first agree to visit memorials at Pearl Harbor and Nanking etc before asking Obama to buy into their victim racket.

Old news. Japan should finally shut up about the atom bomb being driopped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Sad state of affairs when your only claim to fame is being a world famous victim.

Especially when you started it.

Do you really think the people in Hiroshima started anything? Try reading sometime.

Okinawamike - like most other people in Japan, they didn't raise 1 voice of opposition when their country was taken over by the militarists. So yes, they are as guilty as anyone.

They need to stop this. Obama doesn't care. He is the one who was opposed to shutting down Japan's nuclear reactors as a service to his corporate sponsors. And, of course, America is not into revisionist history. To many (most?) Americans, dropping those bombs saved a million US servicemen even though General Eisenhower and other military top brass at the time told Truman the bombs were unnecessary.

Here we go again the blind leading the blind.

even if they personally don't feel this way, I'm sure they need to do this to placate their right wing constituents...

It's very sad, Japanese civilians perished in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chinese people endured more civilian executions under the Japanese Imperial Army.

BUT

Yes, America had the plan to use (2 bombs) it on the Japanese,if Russia was involved during the war.

The war would have lasted longer and Japan would have controlled Asia.

Both mayors need to acknowledge what their Imperial army, navy and etc. did to Indo-China, China and etc. Haven't they studied world history ?

They need to realize that in Western culture and other cultures as well, playing the perpetual victim doesn't get you any respect. Quite the opposite.

Vast Right-Wing Conspirator

The vote on whether or not to surrender was a tie vote, 3 to 3. It took the (totally unprecedented) intervention of the Emperor himself to decide the issue.

I think perhaps this shows that the generals avoided the responsibility of surrendering or continuing to fight and kicked the decision upstairs.

Still, it would be nice if Hiroshima and Nagasaki could think of something else to promote besides their victimhood. (Not trivializing the suffering of the people here.)

Long been tired of japan's hypocrisy.

"...and face the reality of the bomb,"

What, exactly, is it that we aren't facing?

Dream on, Mayors ! .....................................................................Obama's strings are pulled by the military industry in USA ; and so although he may be empathic, he has no power to change the tide of the further research, development and manufacture of state-of-art nuclear war heads.

Sad state of affairs when your only claim to fame is being a world famous victim. Especially when you started it.

Do you really think the people in Hiroshima started anything? Try reading sometime.